Ancient Spirit Treasure?

Shan An stared at Tianxian Dao Master in confusion. After hesitating for a long while, she still followed him into the Separate Courtyard.

For some reason, her heart was filled with unease. The Separate Courtyard before her seemed like a Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den; once she stepped inside, she would lose everything.

She had not been wrong. The moment she entered the Separate Courtyard, she had already lost everything.

Past, present, future—she had lost them all.

Several days later, two Demon Evils, one large and one small, emerged from the Separate Courtyard. If anyone familiar with Shan An had been present, they would have noticed that the slightly smaller figure wore the Spirit Artifact Shan An had never been without.

The black courtyard gates slowly closed, and two more indistinct talismanic patterns appeared upon the screen wall behind them.

Tianxian Dao Master stood before the screen wall and sighed softly.

"After ten thousand years, I still cannot see through you!"

"The Position of Authority is still mine. Go and dispose of all those things that do not know their place!"

As his words fell, the figures of two Demon Evils abruptly emerged from the screen wall.

These two Demon Evils differed from all the others. Their features were far more refined; they had neither fangs nor claws, and aside from their deathly pale eyes, they were almost no different from ordinary people.

"Hehe, shall we kill them all?"

One of the Demon Evils, wearing a Jade Crown, asked with a light laugh.

"Kill them all. Anyone who dares covet the Position of Authority must die! Do you understand what I mean?" Tianxian Dao Master looked at him.

"Hehe, of course. Your subordinate Jade Crown shall obey the Dao Master's decree!" The Jade Crown Demon Evil wore a grinning expression, but he still bowed in submission.

Tianxian Dao Master nodded slightly in satisfaction, then turned to the Demon Evil beside him. "And you, White Bone!"

The White Bone Demon Evil was much larger in stature. In a deep, muffled voice, he said, "Fine, but we need more companions!"

"Those people can all become your companions!"

White Bone grinned. "Then there will be no problem."

The origins of the Land of Reincarnation had to be traced back one million years. It did not belong to the Myriad Flower Domain, but had come from the Great Void.

As for where in the Great Void it had come from, that could no longer be traced.

The so-called Land of Reincarnation was neither a Grotto-Heaven nor a Formation. Its Main Body was actually a Spirit Treasure.

The White Bone Jade Crown.

Many people only knew that the Land of Reincarnation contained many islands, yet they did not know that most of those islands were actually part of the White Bone Jade Crown.

The White Bone Jade Crown was shaped like a square lotus. Its base was square and upright, while lotus petals were carved along its upper portion. The islands of the Land of Reincarnation were in fact the tips of those petals.

The White Bone Jade Crown had twelve petals, so the Land of Reincarnation actually had twelve main islands. As for the other scattered islands, they were reefs and islets that had evolved over the past million years.

Tianxian Dao Master was not the owner of the White Bone Jade Crown, while White Bone and Jade Crown were its Spirits of Artifact.

They were not in a Master-Servant relationship. However, twenty thousand years ago, Tianxian Dao Master had placed himself within it, and his divine soul and Dao body had formed certain connections with the White Bone Jade Crown, causing the two sides to establish a cooperative relationship.

White Bone and Jade Crown wanted more Demon Evils, while Tianxian Dao Master could provide them with more materials to turn into Demon Evils—Golden Core cultivators.

The world only knew that the Tianxian Dao had a prohibition forbidding entry into the Land of Reincarnation. They did not know that Tianxian Dao Master had been sending his disciples into the Land of Reincarnation one after another.

Over the past ten thousand years, Tianxian Dao Master had cultivated more than a hundred Demon Evils for the White Bone Jade Crown.

The reason he personally cultivated them was because he could also control the Demon Evils he raised. If White Bone and Jade Crown forcibly transformed them, he would be unable to control them.

That was why he forbade outsiders from entering the Land of Reincarnation, allowing only those he had arranged to enter it.

Whenever one of his disciples was nearing the end of their Lifespan, he would bring them here and turn them into his Demon Evils.

Since they were all close to the end of their Lifespans, his actions had not aroused anyone's suspicions. Many of his disciples had even willingly become Demon Evils in order to continue serving him.

He had relied on the Position of Authority to resist the erosion of the White Bone Jade Crown, but now he was about to lose that Position of Authority.

Once he lost the Position of Authority, he would very likely become something like a Demon Evil. Perhaps, being somewhat special, he would become something similar to White Bone and Jade Crown.

But whether it was becoming a Demon Evil or becoming like White Bone and Jade Crown, neither was an outcome he wanted.

He still wanted to be a person, a cultivator, a supreme and exalted Dao Master.

Therefore, he also had to fight for the Position of Authority again.

He would wipe out every existence that threatened him, allowing himself to sit upon the Position of Authority once more and gain another ten thousand years of Lifespan.

Life Realm Immortal Palace, Longevity Palace.

Yang Zhengshan sat in a lakeside pavilion, watching the lotuses sway upon the lake as ripples spread across the water.

Xuan Zhen sat opposite him, boiling water and brewing tea. "It seems the Wuchang Ghost Sect is even weaker than we imagined. They actually retreated directly to the northern part of the Wanhua Demon Court!"

"Perhaps," Yang Zhengshan said, lifting his tea and taking a light sip.

His gaze remained fixed upon the lotuses in the lake, and he seemed somewhat lost in thought.

"What should we do next? Should we occupy the Wanhua Mountain Range first?" Xuan Zhen asked.

Yang Zhengshan withdrew his gaze and looked at the tea in his hand. "No. We cannot occupy the Wanhua Mountain Range now."

"Why?"

"Because the moment we occupy the Wanhua Mountain Range, we will become the Target of Public Criticism!"

The Wanhua Mountain Range was an excellent place. Throughout the Myriad Flower Domain's million-year history, quite a few Lords of Authority had gained the Position of Authority by occupying the Wanhua Mountain Range. This had caused many people to develop a particular perception of the mountain range.

Whoever gained the Wanhua Mountain Range could become the Lord of Authority!

The statement was somewhat exaggerated, but it was not without reason. Thus, many people had their eyes on the Wanhua Mountain Range.

That was also why Chang Buzai had insisted on occupying the Wanhua Mountain Range.

Yang Zhengshan did not know whether anyone else was eyeing the Wanhua Mountain Range, but he guessed that there certainly were.

For example, Wu Wei Zheng.

That fellow had always been Glaring Like a Tiger at the Wanhua Mountain Range from the Wanhua Western Regions.

Once Yang Zhengshan occupied the Wanhua Mountain Range, he would inevitably become Wu Wei Zheng's enemy.

Although Yang Zhengshan was no longer afraid of Wu Wei Zheng, he did not wish to gain additional unknown enemies.

"We will guard the Southern Region first," Yang Zhengshan said.

"I see. Then should we continue attacking the Yin Soldier Blood Puppets of the Wuchang Ghost Sect?" Xuan Zhen asked.

"No rush. Let's wait and see," Yang Zhengshan said, looking toward the hall.

The Longevity Palace was majestic and resplendent, while its interior was even more dazzling with gold and jade. However, he was not looking at the palace itself, but at the people inside.

Yu Qingyi had entered seclusion again. After obtaining Hua Qingzhu, she had gained many insights and was currently absorbing them.

Just then, Yang Qingyu drifted over.

"Ancestor, someone at the Forward Outpost Base requests an audience," Yang Qingyu said. "They claim to be an old acquaintance of yours, Ancestor, but they have not revealed their identity!"

Her expression was somewhat grave, and her tone was heavy as well.

Yang Zhengshan looked up at her. "What is it? Does this person possess some Special Quality?"

If it had been an ordinary person, Yang Qingyu naturally would not have reacted this way. Since she had, it meant the other party had something unusual about them.

"Their aura does not seem weaker than yours, Ancestor," Yang Qingyu said softly.

Xuan Zhen abruptly raised his head.

Yang Qingyu's perception was unrivaled throughout the entire White Jade Capital. Not even Foundation Establishment Cultivators, nor even Golden Core cultivators, could compare to her in perception.

Since Yang Qingyu said the other party's aura was no weaker than Yang Zhengshan's, that meant their cultivation and strength were nearly equal to his.

"An old acquaintance! Hehe, there are not many among my acquaintances with such cultivation!"

Yang Zhengshan chuckled and slowly rose to his feet.

"I shall go meet this old acquaintance."

With that, his figure vanished from the spot. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the Forward Outpost Base.

Looking at the visitor outside the Formation, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist, you have come in person, yet I failed to welcome you from afar!"

He slowly flew out of the Protection Formation and arrived before Wu Wei Zheng.

Just as he had guessed, the visitor was none other than Wu Wei Zheng.

Among his acquaintances, there was only one person whose cultivation had reached Half-step Entering Dao: Wu Wei Zheng.

In fact, Wu Wei Zheng's cultivation had not previously recovered to Half-step Entering Dao. However, Yang Zhengshan knew that he was a figure from ten thousand years ago and that he intended to contend for the Position of Authority. That was enough to prove that Wu Wei Zheng's cultivation and strength could easily reach the Half-step Entering Dao level.

Wu Wei Zheng examined Yang Zhengshan. He first furrowed his brow, then revealed a look of astonishment.

"You actually entered the Dao!"

"Hehe, compared to you, Fellow Daoist, I still fall far short," Yang Zhengshan said modestly.

Wu Wei Zheng stared at him, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You are not yet a thousand years old!"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Yang Zhengshan looked at him in surprise.

In many cases, age was a restriction on cultivation. More accurately, time limited the improvement of cultivation.

Yet under many circumstances, time did not limit cultivation.

For example, comprehending the Dao!

Comprehending the Dao required the accumulation of time, but it required even more the fortune of a chance encounter.

After one reached the Golden Core Realm, Dao Intent required the accumulation of time, but enlightenment was even more necessary.

A single sudden enlightenment could equal a thousand years of bitter cultivation!

Sudden enlightenment could sometimes be so unreasonable. It was not that the more one accumulated, the greater one's chance of attaining it.

At times, a flash of inspiration could send one into a state of sudden enlightenment.

Since he began cultivating, Yang Zhengshan had entered states of sudden enlightenment several times.

Yet those moments of enlightenment had not come from himself, but from the Life Realm Immortal Palace.

Of course, he had also had his own fortunate opportunity—the Evergreen Bamboo Staff. It was precisely because of the Life Dao Intent contained within the Evergreen Bamboo Staff that Yang Zhengshan received an opportunity for sudden enlightenment and entered the Dao through Life and Death Dao Intent.

Wu Wei Zheng hesitated briefly, then shook his head. "There is no problem."

"No? Fellow Daoist does not seem very skilled at lying," Yang Zhengshan said with a smile.

Wu Wei Zheng's expression was too obvious. He clearly wanted to say something, yet had held it back.

Wu Wei Zheng fell silent for a moment before saying, "Fellow Daoist must have obtained some fortunate opportunity, such as a Spirit Treasure—and not an ordinary Spirit Treasure at that!"

Yang Zhengshan raised his brow. "It is only a Spirit Treasure. Fellow Daoist should not need to place such importance on it."

Spirit Treasures were rare. Even cultivators at Half-step Entering Dao would not dare claim to possess one.

But to Half-step Entering Dao powerhouses, Spirit Treasures were really nothing extraordinary.

They did not possess them because they were too scarce, not because they had never seen, touched, or understood them.

"Ordinary Spirit Treasures naturally do not matter to me, but I have never seen an Ancient Spirit Treasure!"

"An Ancient Spirit Treasure?"

"That is right. The older a Spirit Treasure is, the deeper its Dao Resonance becomes, and the more it can help its owner comprehend Dao Intent! I suspect you possess an Ancient Spirit Treasure, Fellow Daoist!" Wu Wei Zheng said.

Yang Zhengshan understood. If that was the case, Wu Wei Zheng was not wrong.

The Life Realm Immortal Palace truly was an extremely ancient Spirit Treasure.

However, Wu Wei Zheng was also mistaken. Yang Zhengshan had entered the Dao not because he possessed an Ancient Spirit Treasure, but because of a sudden enlightenment born from a fortunate coincidence.

After understanding Wu Wei Zheng's thoughts, Yang Zhengshan did not question him further on the matter. Instead, he invited Wu Wei Zheng into the Forward Outpost Base.

Tea was served, and the two sat facing each other.

"Did Fellow Daoist come here for some matter?" Yang Zhengshan asked directly.

"I originally intended to invite you to deal with the Wuchang Ghost Sect together, but now it seems there is no need," Wu Wei Zheng said, looking at Yang Zhengshan with a complicated expression.

He had anticipated that Yang Zhengshan's cultivation and strength had improved greatly, but he had not expected Yang Zhengshan to already be evenly matched with him.

This left him feeling extremely conflicted. There was envy and jealousy, wariness, and even a measure of shock.

Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly. There truly was no need.

It was not because the two sides could not join forces against the Wuchang Ghost Sect, but because they could not truly unite.

Wu Wei Zheng wanted to contend for the Position of Authority. Back when Yang Zhengshan's cultivation had been low, he would not have viewed Yang Zhengshan as an opponent. But now that Yang Zhengshan's cultivation was comparable to his, he had become a worthy rival.

Although Yang Zhengshan might not necessarily fight for the Position of Authority, he would not simply hand it over to someone else.

"If you wish to contend for it, I can yield the Central Region of the Wanhua Mountain Range to you," Yang Zhengshan said with a smile.

"Yield it to me?" Wu Wei Zheng looked at him in astonishment. "You do not intend to occupy the Central Region?"

Yang Zhengshan chuckled. "I do not."

"Why?"

"Because I do not wish to become the Target of Public Criticism!"

"..."

Wu Wei Zheng was speechless.

You do not want it, so you are pushing me out instead!

Damn, you really are sinister!

And so openly, brazenly sinister at that!

But could he refuse?

The Central Region was the essence of the Wanhua Mountain Range. Occupying it was equivalent to occupying more than half of the Wanhua Mountain Range.

How could he refuse such temptation?

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. So long as you do not attack the Southern Region!"

"That will not do. I want the entire Wanhua Mountain Range!"

"Then once you have dealt with the Wuchang Ghost Sect, I will yield the Southern Region to you," Yang Zhengshan said indifferently.

"Really?"

"I never speak falsehoods," Yang Zhengshan said shamelessly.

Wu Wei Zheng stared directly at Yang Zhengshan, as though he wished to see through his thoughts.

He knew what Yang Zhengshan was thinking. It was Nothing More Than letting the snipe and clam fight while the fisherman profited. However, whether the fisherman could have the last laugh would still depend on strength.

He was not afraid of Yang Zhengshan wanting to be the fisherman.

"Fine!" Wu Wei Zheng nodded, his expression calm.

No matter what, occupying the Central Region would bring him enormous benefits.

Setting aside the many Spirit Vein Blessed Lands in the Central Region, which could make his Myriad Beast Sect even stronger, once he obtained the Central Region, he would also be one step closer to the Position of Authority.